Elementary Teacher Interview Preparation Guide

Elementary teacher (also called a school teacher) is a person who provides education for students.

The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college.

This will be among the first common teacher interview questions at almost every in-person. Just give a brief background in about three sentences. Tell them what colleges you graduated from, what you're certified to teach, what your teaching & working experiences are, and why you'd love the job.

If you interview in the United States, school administrators love to talk about state, local, or national standards! Reassure your interviewer that everything you do ties into standards. Be sure the lesson plans in your portfolio have the state standards typed right on them. When they ask about them, pull out your lesson and show them the close ties between your teaching and the standards.

There are standardized assessments at almost every grade level. Be sure you know the names of the tests. Talk about your experiences preparing students. You'll get bonus points if you know and describe the format of the test because that will prove your familiarity.

You use lots of positive reinforcement. You are firm, but you don't yell. You have appropriate consequences for inappropriate behavior. You have your classroom rules posted clearly on the walls. You set common routines that students follow. You adhere to the school's discipline guidelines. Also, emphasize that you suspect discipline problems will be minimal because your lessons are very interesting and engaging to students. Don't tell the interviewer that you "send kids to the principal's office" whenever there is a problem. You should be able to handle most discipline problems on your own. Only students who have committed very serious behavior problems should be sent to the office.

An IEP is an "individualized education plan." Students with special needs will be given an IEP, or a list of things that you must do when teaching the child. An IEP might include anything from "additional time for testing" to "needs all test questions read aloud" to "needs to use braille textbook." How do you ensure you're meeting the needs of a student with an IEP? First, read the IEP carefully. If you have questions, consult a special education teacher, counselor, or other staff member who can help you. Then, you just make sure you follow the requirements on the IEP word for word. When necessary, you may be asked to attend a meeting in which you can make suggestions for updating the IEP. Your goal, and the goal of the IEP, is to make sure the student has whatever he or she needs to be successful in your class.

This question will come up at almost every elementary school interview. It's fairly common in the middle school and high school as well. You might have a weekly parent newsletter that you send home each week. For grades 3 and up, you may require students to have an assignment book that has to be signed each night. This way, parents know what assignments are given and when projects are due. When there are discipline problems you call home and talk to parents. It's important to have an open-door policy and invite parents to share their concerns at any time.

You might be asked outright about your teaching philosophy, or the question might be, "Why did you decide to become a teacher?" Make a brief statement about what you believe about how students learn. Project a focus that is optimistic. For example, you might say something like, "I believe all students can learn when presented with subject matter appropriate to their level by a teacher who cares, is patient and helps to boost self-esteem". Don't say you chose teaching as a profession because the hours are short and the holidays are long, even if you are only joking. It is best to avoid humor in your answers. A good answer would describe past experiences you had where you taught successfully, and how rewarding you found the experience.

Interview questions that focus on discipline methods are often worded as scenario questions. Expect to be asked how you would handle a student who is constantly disruptive or rude in class. Your answer should reflect patience, but also clear expectations of student behavior. Know what you would or would not tolerate, and what the consequences would be. Your answer should show that you are firm but supportive. Explain how you would start with a subtle approach such as moving closer to the disruptive student or glancing in her direction. Make it clear that if the student did not correct her behavior immediately, you would ask to speak with her after class, make a call to her parents, and contact the guidance counselors to determine whether there are any extenuating circumstances. Indicate that you would involve the office as a last resort. Most principals don't want teachers who believe sending a disruptive student to the office is the only effective disciplinary strategy.